All oils are not created equal.

Most aromatherapists have their favourite oils. Anyone reading my blog will know that Frankincense is one of mine. Most of us also have our favourite suppliers and will not agree on all points with respect to this. One supplier that I have heard from others that they don’t really like is certainly the best one I know for Bergamot.

Another oil I really like is Juniper and I was interested to read this article which states that there are differences between the male and female plants as well as differences in both the chemical composition of the oil and the amount produced depending on the time of year the leaves are harvested.

This should come as no surprise as the essential oils have many functions for plants, including attracting pollinators and deterring pest species. Needless to say, deterring pest species does not work when the pest is human! A prime example of this is Horseradish where the oil designed to deter pests is what makes us dig it up. There again, when we dig it up, we often break up the root helping it to multiply so perhaps this also applies to other animals that dig such as badgers or pigs?

One day it is possible that it may be possible to buy Juniper oil by the season though currently, I know of no research about the differing therapeutic effects of the oil depending on harvesting time.
What I can say is that I try different suppliers from time to time for my oils and based on this strive to use the best ones I can obtain. This is both because I believe that the therapeutic effects will be greater and I (and my clients) will enjoy the aromas more.